Tuesday, December 19, 2006

"Time Is On My Side" - written by Norman Meade a.k.a. Jerry Ragavoy...

TIME is on my side. Yes it is. TIME is also on your side. Yes it is. I meant to congratulate you as soon as I found out that you are TIME's Man of the Year. By the way, if you're a woman, you're also TIME's Man of the Year.

Since 1927 (Charles Lindbergh) TIME Magazine has chosen a man, woman, or idea that "for better or worse (Adolf Hitler in 1938) has most influenced events in the preceding year". Apparently "we" have had that kind of effect this year and I trust my blog had something to do with it since blogging was cited as one of the "most influencing events in the preceding year". If you find it odd that YOU are the TIME Man of the Year, this isn't the first time "an idea" has been so chosen. TIME, in the past has recognized the "Twenty-five and under" "idea" (1966), the "American Fighting-Man" (1950), the "Hungarian Freedom Fighter" (1956), "U.S. Scientists" (1960), the "Middle Americans" (1968), the "American Women" (The American Women "Man of the Year"?) (1975), "The Computer" (1982). There are more but you get the idea... I think it's time that TIME changes the name of their award. How about the "for better or worse, the man, woman or idea that has most influenced events in the preceding year Man of the Year"... Today's video link is the title song of a movie that premiered on this date in 1980. The singer is Dolly Parton who also starred in the movie:: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpKAA2VxWY8&mode=related&search= Timeline Memories... [1732] Benjamin Franklin begins publishing "Poor Richard's Almanac"... [1777] General George Washington leads his army of 11,000 men to Valley Forge to camp for the winter (after stopping for Philly Cheese-Steaks on the way)... [1903] The Willie-B opens for traffic. The Williamsburg Bridge, connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan becomes the 1st major suspension bridge in America... [1917] The first games of the new NHL are played. The original 5 teams played in Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec and 2 in Montreal (the way God intended it eh?)... [1984] Buffalo Sabre coach Scotty Bowman becomes the NHL's career leading coach in victories with #691, with a win over Chicago 6-1... [1987] Paul Simon is both the host and musical guest on "Saturday Night Live". Presidential candidate Paul Simon is the host and the musical guest is, well, Paul Simon... [1989] U.S. troops invade Panama to overthrow the regime of General Noriega (who is making license plates in a Miami prison)... [1990] Bo Jackson becomes the 1st athlete to be chosen for All Star games in 2 sports as he's selected for the NFL Pro Bowl (to which Bo adds: "I'm happy for Bo 'cause Bo knows he deserves to be an All-Star in 2 sports and I'm gonna tell Bo as soon as I see him")... [1996] The school board of Oakland votes to recognize black English. Ebonics is born. English dies... [1997] "Titanic" has its world premiere and becomes the biggest box office hit of all-time (gross receipts well over $2 billion. That's billion with a "B")... [2002] Citing new DNA evidence, a judge throws out the convictions of 5 young men in a 1989 attack on the Central Park jogger who was raped and left for dead (miraculously she has survived)... "Happy Trails": 2000] Former NYC mayor John Lindsay dies from Parkinson's disease and pneumonia at 79... "Believe It Or Not": 1918] Robert Ripley begins his "Believe It Or Not" column in the New York Globe... Premiered on this date: 1957] Meredith Wilson's "The Music Man" opens at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway for a run of 1,375 performances...1961] "Judgment At Nuremberg" premieres in New York City...1971] Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange"...1980] "9 To 5" starring Dolly Parton premieres... #1 on this date: 1958] "The Chipmunk Song" - David Seville a.k.a. Ross Bagdasarian (this was one of the first songs I ever played in radio along with "Tom Dooley")...1979] "Escape (Pina Colada Song)" - Rupert Holmes (the last #1 hit of the 70s)... Released on this date: 1960] "Calendar Girl" - Neil Sedaka... The Final Curtain: 1965] Jim Brown scores his 126th and final NFL touchdown, winning his 8th rushing title in 9 years in the Cleveland Browns final regular season game of 1965 (the future Hall of Famer will gain 50 yards in a playoff loss to Green Bay and never play again, choosing to retire)...1973] Apollo 17, last of the moon landing series, returns to Earth...1985] ABC Sports cuts ties with Howard Cosell (who stays on radio for 5 more years)... Sworn in: 1974] Nelson A. Rockefeller is sworn in as VP replacing Spiro Agnew who had resigned... "Knock on Wood": 1975] Ron Wood joins the Rolling Stones... [To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]... Commentary... "Happy Trails" to Joseph Barbera, who died of natural causes yesterday at his home at 95. Barbera was part of Hanna-Barbera, one of the most successful cartoonists that ever lived. Together they created "Tom and Jerry", "The Flintstones", "Yogi Bear", "Huckleberry Hound and Friends", "Top Cat", "Scooby-Doo", "Johnny Quest", "The Jetsons" and "Animal Follies". What a lineup...Hanna died in 2001... Larry Sherry was an unlikely most valuable player of the Dodgers' 1959 World Series victory. The relief pitcher closed out all 4 of his team's victories over the Chicago White Sox. Sherry died on Sunday at 71 after battling several forms of cancer for a dozen years but died from kidney failure. Larry Sherry's battery mate behind the plate for the Dodgers for several years, Norm Sherry, made the announcement...R.I.P. Joseph Barbera and Larry Sherry... "Happy Birthday...happy birthday": Jake Gyllenhall (26), Jennifer Beals (43), Kevin McHale (49), John McEuen (61), Maurice White (65), Al Kaline (72), Cicely Tyson (73) and Little Jimmy Dickens (86)... Timeline Countdown: Happy Chanukah (night 5), 6 days until Christmas, 12 days until 2007, 18 days until the NFL playoffs, 20 days until the BCS championship game, 47 days until Super Bowl XLI and 58 days until pitchers and catchers... ...